From Insult, To Injury, To Friendship
by AkaOkamiRyu
Summary: A friendship comes of several Quidditch injuries. Maybe some hinting of romance, (HHr, but very slight.) Challenge fic for Quill To Parchment.


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From Insult, To Injury, To Friendship

Description: A friendship comes of several Quidditch injuries. Maybe some hinting of romance, (HHr, but very slight.) Challenge fic for Quill To Parchment.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of this story, they belong to J.K. Rowling.

Spoilers: Books 1 through 5. Mostly just things they mention about the characters.

Note, I am not avoiding Sirius' death, but I am not going to mention it, simply because this is a story for a challenge, and I want to concentrate on the topic, not mourning. So I will not be addressing anything relating to his passing. Sorry for anyone who feels this is wrong, I personally liked his character quite a lot.

Also Draco may be a bit OOC, maybe a lot. I don't know, I'm not used to using his character at all, so it was a learning experience.

Guidelines as set by the Quill to Parchment administrators.

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Theme: Quidditch

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Time: Harry's era

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Ships: -optional-

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Things to include:

-Any Hogwarts Quidditch teams

-at least 2 injuries (anyone but there must be 2)

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From Insult, To Injury, To Friendship

The players of the Gryffindor and Slytherin houses could not have asked for better Quidditch weather that Saturday. The air was crisp, the chill within it would stave off overheating, but would not lash bitterly at the air born athletes.

It was early still, the sun barely peaked over the eastern horizon, few bodies sat within the Great Hall. In fact, only three sixth year Gryffindors were awake and about.

"Ready for the match guys?" Hermione was glad to note neither seemed outwardly nervous, her two best friends seemed confident and prepared for the game. They'd been running practices for weeks, every other day.

"Uh huh." Came one answer, muffled by a mouth of scrambled eggs and toast.

Casting Ron a dark, disgusted glance, she rolled her eyes and turned to Harry. He was concentrating heavily upon his jellied toast. She muttered his name softly, and he glanced up, offering a soft smile.

"Worried?" She asked curiously, he'd been quite confident last night, but perhaps something was troubling him. If there was something, she'd try to help. She couldn't help but notice a dulled quality in those bright emerald eyes, and the flickering in his smile.

"Not really, just thinking."

She nodded, turning back to her own breakfast. She believed him, of course. Harry almost never lied to her, and on the rare occasion when he did, he could not meet her eye. He did now, and so she knew it was the truth. And yet she was worried, because it was always dangerous going into a Quidditch game, if he was distracted, it would be worse.

She looked up, feeling someone's eyes upon her, and was met with that same emerald hue she so well knew. That sparkle had returned familiar, reassuring. He was giving her a questioning, expecting look.

"What about you? You seem worried about something yourself."

She shrugged. "Just worried about you, as usual." He arched a brow at the statement, a grin tugged at his lips. Before he could make any teasing insinuations, she added, "You know it's twice as dangerous to go into a match preoccupied then it would usually be, and you seem to have something weighing on your mind."

He sighed, smiled again, and nodded. "You're right." They sat in pensive silence a moment, only now realizing Ron had left. A note sat between them, Ron's handwriting scrawled upon it.

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Harry, Hermione - Headed to the locker room early to go over some tactics with Katie and Ginny, see you there.

--Ron

  
  
The two read it over in turns, and then finished their own breakfasts.

After taking his last gulp of orange juice, Harry glanced down at his watch.

"Still half an hour before the match. But I better be going." He stood up and offered Hermione a hand, which she gladly took. "Care to accompany me?"

With a laugh and a smile, she nodded. "Of course."

They exited the Hall, just in time to run into Draco Malfoy heading to breakfast. "Don't get hurt out there Potty, and tell the Weasel he best keep his eyes open."

They ignored him and continued out of the castle. The two friends walked leisurely down to the changing rooms, talking easily about any number of topics, and though she tried to get it out of him, he would not tell her what was on his mind. She gave up when they reached their destinations.

"Good luck Harry, and be careful."

Laughing he answered her. "Of course I'll be careful, when is Harry Potter anything but careful?"

She laughed with him, then stepping on her tip toes, she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and walked off swiftly toward the field.

He watched her walk away for a moment, smiling softly, before entering the changing rooms.

:-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-:

The game had been fierce, showing that both teams had been training hard lately. Both Ron and the Slytherin seeker were blocking well, though they missed sometimes too. At the moment the score was 90 - 70, the favor on the Gryffindors.

The match was already carrying into its second hour, but Harry was still fresh, he'd been keeping his eyes out for the elusive snitch, and often he would trick Malfoy to distract him.

It had worked many times, but he always followed, thinking this time it may be the real snitch. And indeed it was this time.

He'd seen the golden glitter when he'd been checking on his teammates. It was glittering in the sunlight near the goal posts, halfway between the ground and Ron. Tearing off after it, he knew Malfoy would follow. What neither knew, nor Ron for that matter, what that a bludger was headed their way. It had ricocheted off the Slytherin beaters bat, and no one realized it was coming until too late.

:-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-:

He felt it pummel into his stomach without seeing it. His attention had been on the quaffle. Taken completely by surprise Ron slipped off his broom, and began the roughly twenty foot descent to the ground. Halfway through the fall he landed upon a very surprised Harry and Draco, who were neck and neck, just short of the snitch.

In a wild sprawl and tangle of limbs the three crashed into the ground, and all three fell unconscious. The crowd and the teachers flooded the field in concern. Players on both teams flew down to keep them back, and helped the professors get through. Headmaster Dumbledore quickly conjured stretchers, and Professor Flitwick lifted the three onto them.

They were whisked away to the hospital wing, but not before the old man smiled, and took something from Harry's hand that was tightly clutched there. The Golden Snitch. Gryffindor had won 240 - 70.

Cheers and boos ran through the surrounding crowd as they headed back to their common rooms. Except for, of course, Hermione Granger and Ginny Weasley, both of whom worriedly rushed after the bodies of their fellow students, family, and friends.

:-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-:

The reception of Madam Pomfrey was less then warm. She tisked and muttered under her breath as she prepared three beds.

"Dangerous sport, no place in a school. How in the name of Merlin can they expect me to keep these students safe when they throw them on brooms and chuck heavy balls at people."

Her mood did not improve when, moments later, the doors opened rather noisily, and the two worried Gryffindor girls strode in.

"Are they alright Madam Pomfrey? Are Harry and Ron going to be okay?" Hermione asked quickly, looking haggard and out of breath. Ginny said nothing, but looked at the nurse with worry and hope.

"Ms. Granger, Ms. Weasley! While I can understand your worry, you will keep your voices down in here or I will have to ask you to..." Her threat trailed off, and she very nearly smiled. Softening her tone she went on. "Please girls, keep it down and you can come see your friends."

She walked down the aisle with Hermione and Ginny at her heels. They reached the end in a moment and the girls were relieved to see Harry and Ron awake. Of course Draco was too, but they weren't inclined to care.

Ginny quickly went to her brother's bedside, and gave him an uncharacteristic hug. "I'm glad you're okay."

She said with difficulty, she never knew she could be so worried about him. He grinned jokingly at her. "Really? You sure you weren't more worried about my broom?"

They all laughed and the two began to trade teasing remarks. Meanwhile Hermione had taken residence in the chair next to Harry's bed.

Worry was etched in her eyes, and she had a scowl placed on her face. "I thought you said you'd be care."

He gave her a guilty grin. "Sorry?" He said uncertainly, he hadn't meant to get hurt, and certainly hadn't meant to make her worry about him.

A look of relief and amusement spread over her, even he could see it. His grin of guilt melted into a soft smile, reflecting and responding to her own. "I suppose you're forgiven."

The friends dissolved into spirited conversation, ending only when Madam Pomfrey shushed Ginny and Hermione out, saying the boys needed their rest to recover from the bumps and bruises and that they'd be at lunch tomorrow.

Reassured, the girls headed back to the common room, to be greeted by a rather loud and boisterous party.

:-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-::-:

Draco Malfoy had watched the exchanges silently. For the first time in his life, he truly envied Harry Potter. Not for his Quidditch skills, or grades, or anything else. Merely for his friends. None of Draco's own housemates had come to see if he was okay, they were probably angry with him for loosing the match.

For the first time in his life, Draco would have traded places with a Gryffindor. Even now, as he watched Harry and Ron talking, he wished he could be there too. He didn't care about how poor Weasley was, or that Harry was constantly thwarting the Dark Lord, his father's master, he wished he could be his friend.

Besides, the Dark Lord wasn't his master. Everyone had always expected him to be his father's son, and he had no choice to be. But even he was sick of being alone, friendless, even he would trade wealth and power for one person to stick with him.

Madam Pomfrey shook him from his thoughts to give him his potion. He swallowed it grudgingly, it tasted good, but it was thick and gooey, sticking to his throat. He smiled, though not cruelly, at the disgusted look upon their faces.

When the old nurse had left, retreating into her office, the two Gryffindors began another discussion on Quidditch.

Suddenly Draco had made a decision. If he wanted to have that kind of life, he was going to have to do it on his own.

"Hey Potter." He said across the aisle. Both of them looked up in surprise, less at the address, then the tone of it. It was not cold, malicious, but amiable, friendly. A tone they had never heard him used before.

"What?" Harry's was guarded, somewhat untrusting.

"Nice catch, from I overheard Granger and the younger Weasley say."

"What's with you Malfoy? Where's the weasel, potty, and, well, you know?" Ron asked this time.

Draco sighed, he'd expected this. Wincing, he stood up and walked over to sit in the chair between their beds. "Listen, I've been watching you all afternoon, you and your friends. And I've realized that more then anything, I'd like to have friends. None of my so-called friends came to see if I was alright, if they had they'd have been mad at me losing. Your friends wouldn't have cared either way, as long as you were alright. You're both lucky, and I never saw that until recently."

Astounded by the admission, everyone was long silent. Harry and Ron seemed to be gauging the truth in this statement, but they found no lie in his voice and, consequently, the three spent the long hours of the night in easy conversation.

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When they entered the Great Hall together for lunch the next day many were astounded by the site of them talking like old friends.

When explained, it made little sense to many. But there were those who understood, and slowly they all learned to accept this odd friendship.

For years later it would astound many how one Quidditch game could change so much. It had brought a dark soul to the light, taught him friendship, and taught his new friends acceptance and forgiveness. It had changed the course of fate perhaps.

Only time would tell.

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The End

(Perhaps. I may continue it at a later date. It sort of sucked as I was VERY pressed for time. I did it the afternoon of the 13th.)

Okay, well that was awful. But you know what? I'm glad I did it anyways. I wasn't going to enter the challenge, but I , and I feel I'll be better for it. I'm sure I won't win, but it's good to know I've given it a shot, no matter how it turns out. So there it is, suggestions welcome. Thanks for putting up with me.

Anyone who liked this fic, or anyone who liked the theme, but thought mine sucked, check out the website this challenge was sponsored by for 

Thanks and Until Next Time,

(For there is always a next time.)

AkaOkamiRyu


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